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“She was hyperventilating, absolutely panicked,” Kelly said. “I saw how scared she was. I got scared too. I just held her, and said, you know, we’ll get through this.”

Due to the damage to her language pathways, Giffords’ therapy frequently focused on music — videos show her singing tunes such as Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin” and “Tomorrow” from “Annie,” ABC reported, as she attempts to relearn how to speak.

Kelly said he often tried to make the recovery process less dark for Giffords, putting up a “No Crying” sign on her hospital door and joking around with his wife when possible. In one instance, Kelly walked into her room and she said “Giffords. Mark Kelly-Giffords” once she saw her husband.

“Kelly-Giffords?” he said to laughter, according to a home video shown to ABC. “No. I’m not changing my name. Ain’t happening.”

Kelly wasn’t the only one focused on moments of levity in the often painful recovery process — Giffords emphasized humor and joking around in many videos, too. During one session, Giffords’ speech therapist asked the congresswoman, “Gabby, you sit in a, what?”

Giffords is continuing to look forward, and according to Kelly, a possible re-election bid in 2012 isn’t off the table.

“She doesn’t give up,” Kelly told Sawyer. “If that’s what she wants, that’s what I want for her. You know, I think she has the right to a chance to recover. She was elected by a lot of people who voted for her in Arizona. When she knows she’s ready, she’ll make the decision.”

During the interview with Giffords, Sawyer asked the congresswoman what word she would call her husband. Giffords, with Kelly by her side, replied, “Brave.”

“That’s what I think of when I think of you, too,” Kelly said, according to ABC.

Readers' Comments (5)

Her recovery is a testament to her motivation and resolve. It is also a testament to the best health care in the world. Right here in the USA . Only here are miracles like this possible. Obamacare will ruin it and we will see few stories like this. Patients like her will be shuffled to nursing homes. Too expensive for all the rehab. Go drool on yourself for the rest of your life in a wheelchair.

Enough of this smarmy stuff. Get her off the front page. She was a resounding dud while in office--she badgered General Petraeus about fighting the war in a "green" manner-- and we REALLY don't care about her private life. Spare us please.....

I find nothing brave about her wanting to have a child or returning to congress. She's come a LONG way, but I KNOW she has years and years of recovery ahead of her before she can even consider attempting to mother a child--whether through a surrogate or via IVF. Ten months ago a bullet went through her brain. That doesn't take a few months to heal.

I'm glad she is on the road to recovery, but let's not assume that she's up for new roles that she may never be ready for.